Lover's From Vault 81
by PureRoyalNative
Summary: Neil Freund has found that his life has become boring. He wishes to leave Vault 81 in search of a home all his own when suddenly Curie, a modified Mrs. Nanny, is introduced into his life. His new goal in life becomes doing anything and everything he can to stay by her side and ensure her happiness. Rated M for Sexual Content. Fallout 4.
1. Chapter 1

Writer's Note: This is another entry in my (Quest to put Fallout characters in pairs.) As always I am open to feedback, comments, and suggestions. I hope you enjoy!

(Vault 81, June 20th, 2288)

The vault dwellers are in a panic. Austin Engill has fallen into a critical state after being bitten by an infected molerat. Every family prays for his survival and that Nate will soon return from the bowels of the vault with good news on how to give him the cure.

Neil Freund sits at his desk just beside the service elevator that hasn't been in use for as long as anyone can recall. Having already spoken to Nate about leaving, he has made himself a list of all the pros and cons that may come from doing so. He has wanted to leave the vault for a few years now, and this might be his last chance, before becoming tied down to his responsibilities. The Overseer has ordered that he train in security to step himself up from the status of rookie. It's not that he doesn't like the job, only that he feels he is destined for so much more. Growing old inside a vault, possibly single his whole life, is not his idea of a fair trade off for scheduled meals and day to day comforts. Exploring, though dangerous, has to be more rewarding. Also he often fantasizes about finding his ideal partner. He doesn't know who she is or what she will look like, he only knows that once he finds her, he wants to shower her with all the love he can muster.

The service elevator springs to life with a loud hum which jumps Neil out of his seat. He grabs his side arm and stands at the ready to fire at whatever might spring out from behind the door. The light above the elevator glows yellow, letting everyone in the room know that something is about to get off at their floor. The elevator dings then the door slowly opens. Neil is relieved when he realizes it is just Nate.

"Woo man! What is with the gun?" Nate asks while raising his arms.

Neil lowers his side arm and sets it back in his holster. "Oh, sorry Nate. I wasn't expecting you to come back up this way."

"Yeah, I was able to get the elevator working from the other side. Should work both ways now."

"Thank you. That is good to know."

As Nate steps forward out of the tiny room Neil notices a Miss Nanny exiting along behind him. She is more beautiful than any other model he has ever seen. Her body looks like that of a giant, white, pearl. It glistens in the overhead lights, hypnotizing him. She is a custom design and he can tell that a lot of effort and care went into modifying her. 'She must really be something for someone to do such a thing. Was she really trapped down there all this time?'

She notices him staring. "Monsieur, is this young man mon ami?" She asks Nate.

Neil decides to take it upon himself to answer her, « En effet je suis, belle mademoiselle, et vous êtes? » (Indeed I am, beautiful miss, and you are?)

« Je m'appelle Curie. C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer. » (My name is Curie. It is nice to meet you.)

"You know French Neil?" Nate asks perplexed.

"A little. Self taught back in my school days. I'm quite rusty actually." He scratches at his red hair feeling like he has just made a fool of himself.

"I could give you some refreshing lessons if you would like," Curie adds.

"Really? That is very kind of you Curie," Neil replies.

"It would be my pleasure. I have not gotten to converse with another person in Francais in over one hundred and fifty years."

"Well it is fine with me if you two want to stay and talk, but I have to get this cure to Austin," Nate informs as he holds up a medical syringe.

"Right, then I want to go too. I need to know right away if he will be okay," says Neil.

"Same here," Curie adds.

They all head down to the medical bay and Nate hands Dr. Forsythe the cure. He treats Austin with it straight away. They are all amazed and relieved when a few minutes later he wakes up and gets to his feet. Neil watches through the window along side Curie. They both let out a happy sigh to know he is going to be alright. After being thanked again and again Nate steps out of the medical bay and heads towards the main entrance. Curie stops him.

"A moment please. I have been trapped so many years, I believe it is customary to thank you in your role in saving me. My entire life has been in this vault. I have analyzed and learned everything there is to know here. The world up there is infinitely more complex. Who knows what can be discovered up there?"

"Are you sure you want to leave? These vault dwellers could use your medical skills."

"Of this there is no doubt. But I seek to elevate my capabilities and down here I will stagnate. Please, monsieur, can you take me with you?"

Neil watches as his opportunity unfolds before him. "I would like to go too!" He blurts out as he steps up to them.

Nate just looks at them both unsure. "Oh really. What do you two think you can do against the dangers on the surface?"

"We can protect each other," Neil blurts again. "Surely neither of us would be great on our own..." He looks to Curie then back to Nate. "...but if all three of us travel together then who knows what we can accomplish. I for one am willing to risk everything just to get a chance at a more fulfilling life."

"And I am willing to do the same," Curie adds.

Nate sighs finding himself stuck in the middle of this predicament. "Look you two, I am grateful for you wanting to help, but I just don't have the time right now to have to look out for newbies in such a dangerous environment. I need to find my son and I think I'll be able to do that more quickly if I travel on my own."

They both hang their heads. "Oh, well then maybe Curie and I can travel together." Neil looks over at her again. "I mean, if you want to."

"I think that sounds like a fantastic idea. I would adore the company."

"Do you guys have any place in particular you would like to go?"

"I would just like to find a place where I can start a new life on the surface," says Neil.

"And I would prefer somewhere that has a garden, so I may continue my research and make new medicines that all the humans on this planet can benefit from," Curie answers.

Nate brings his index finger up to his chin. "Come to think of it, I might already know the perfect place for you both."

"You do?" They both ask excited.

"Yes. There is a settlement just up north called Greentop Nursery. The settlers there have already cultivated the soil to grow their crops and they are always accepting new people to help them expand and work the garden. I can escort you two there if you would like."

"That sounds wonderful," says Curie.

Neil agrees, "Yeah, that might just be the perfect place to start. I'm sure they could teach me tons about how to grow my own crops."

"Alright then. It sounds like a plan. If either of you have anything you want to bring with you, please pack up quickly. We need to get moving as soon as possible."

Curie keeps her stance having no possessions to claim. Neil hurries himself to his room and loads up a big back pack full of anything he thinks he can't live without. Including a framed, group, photo of all the vault dwellers during one of their annual parties. Suddenly his passion for leaving stings him. 'Should I actually do this? What if I never come back? Will anyone miss me when I am gone?' He snaps back out of his head when he notices Curie standing in his doorway.

"Do you need help with anything?" She asks in a sweet, helpful, tone.

He stuffs the photo into his bag not wanting her to see him with doubts. "No, thank you. I just need to grab one last thing. Sorry to hold you guys up."

"It is no problem Monsieur." "Please, call me Neil." She looks at him intrigued for the longest moment. Her pupils dilate and even though she is a robot, he can swear he is witnessing her blushing.

"Alright... Neil," she struggles to get out his name as if she is embarrassed to say it.

He gives her a big smile. "Thanks Curie."

He sets his side arm as well as his holster down on his desk then pulls the pack onto his shoulders. "Well, we don't want to keep Nate waiting. After you." He presents the door to her. "Right," she agrees. As she leaves the room he looks back one last time. He debates on something he wants to grab considering he doesn't think he will need it one the road. Plus it is heavy, but it holds so much sentimental value. He decides he can't leave it behind. Also it would be best if no one discovers it after he's gone. He reaches under the mattress of his bed and pulls out his collection of vintage Hustler magazines. He has only been able to collect six of them so far, he isn't sure if he would ever be able to get his hands on them again. He quickly stuffs them into his bag then runs to catch up to the others.

Nate waits for them at the vault entrance. Curie is close to joining him when he sees Neil running as fast as he can, as if they are going to leave without him. He approaches then hunches to catch his breath.

"Woo, woo! Take it easy. Save your energy for the road," says Nate.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want to hold you up any longer. Plus I really just want to get going before I do the stupid thing and change my mind."

"Having doubts are you?" He shoots back up into a determined stance.

"No! It's just..." His eyes lower. He doesn't know how to explain it. Nate answers for him.

"This is your home." Neil looks to him as if Nate just read his mind. "Well it was anyway. Once you step out this door there is no telling where or when you will have a place to call home. This is something I know all too well." His eyes become somber.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Neil replies.

Nate shakes his head. "Anyway, let's get moving shall we?"

"Yes sir!" Neil and Curie reply.

The day is long. Though they left for their destination in the early afternoon, the sun has beamed down on them for what feels like days. Neil has never known such heat before. If it wasn't for his vault suit keeping his temperature balanced, he isn't sure if he would be able to take it. Curie of course is unscathed by any ill effects that the weather might have on a living being. She just scans her eyes over everything, taking in every last bit of knowledge she can from the visuals all around her. She points out various species of plants, the scientific names of rocks and gravel, and even the company names on the billboards they pass by, as well giving them both a bit of a history lesson for each one. While Nate expresses his annoyance by all of it with huffs and doing his best to focus on his task at hand, Neil enjoys her enthusiasm. It is such a drastic change from the day to day drudgery of work related conversations and social dramas which seemed to be the only two topics of discussion from the vault.

Curie realizes that neither of them have said a thing this entire time. "Are you two even listening? Should I just stop talking?"

Neil's heart skips a beat at the idea of not getting to listen to her sweet voice. "No, it's fine. I'm listening."

"Do as you wish, just as long as we keep moving forward," Nate instructs.

"Very well," Curie continues with her lessons.

Neil spots a cluster of yellow carnation flowers and steps over to it. He grabs a bundle in his hand then hurries over to Curie, presenting her with them.

She looks at them curiously. "Oh, a Dianthus. Also known as the Zeus flower. Named of course by the Greeks. Are you interested in learning more about this plant?"

"Not exactly. I just thought they were pretty, a-and I wanted to give them to you," Neil replies bashfully.

"Oh, well I appreciate the gesture, but unfortunately I can not carry such delicate items without fear of crushing them in my claw."

"I see." He lowers his head disappointed that his attempt at romancing her has failed. He then gets an idea. "Oh! I know!" He pulls off his pack and digs his hands inside.

Nate turns to them, realizing they have stopped. "Come on you two, we need to keep moving before night fall!"

"Just one sec," Neil protests. He pulls out a piece of twine and ties it around the bundle of flowers. He then ties the two ends together tightly. "Curie. If you don't mind." He bows his head in hopes that she will copy him. It takes her a moment, but she does, then he places the twine around her head like a band.

She looks it over with her three eyes. "Oh I see," she says happily. "Does it look good on me?"

"Gorgeous," Neil answers with a smile.

Once again he notices her eyes dilate as she looks into his.

Their focus is interrupted by Nate shouting, "Come on you two!"

They both look to Nate then back at each other. Neither of them wanting the moment to end.

Neil takes the initiative. "Come on. Let's find our new home." He takes hold of her claw hand and leads her along the road.

They make it up the next hill and to their amazement, Greentop Nursery awaits them just on the other side. They can see everything from where they stand. The greenhouse, an old world styled house, and even an area for the brahmin to eat and rest. The settlement is surrounded by even more homes made of run down wood and scrap metal. It is not the dream town Neil has been hoping for, but it is a start. Nate steps off to the side of the road where there has already been a camp set up from previous passers by. He picks up some of the left over wood and starts to build a fire.

"We'll rest here for the night. I don't want to barge into town while everyone is getting set up for sleep. Also we can't be sure they will just accept you two with open arms and I don't want to have to look for another place in the dark if they say no."

"So we are just going to lay out here? On the side of the road? With no cover or any way to defend ourselves?" Neil becomes tense.

"Hey, this is what it's like out here. I warned you didn't I? Now come on. Just take a seat on that log and try to relax."

Neil does as instructed and Curie settles herself down on the ground beside him. Nate pulls out a few cans of Cram from his pack along with a small frying pan and begins to fry them some dinner.

"Sorry this isn't much. I'm not able to carry much by myself so I try to pack lightly."

Neil shakes his head. "No, no! It's fine. I'm ashamed. I should have thought to bring my own food. I was so excited to get my chance to leave I didn't think to even pack water. Geez I am so stupid." He smacks himself in the head.

"Don't worry about it. You'll learn about this stuff quickly now that you have to. For now just know that I am doing this because I want to. If everything works out as planned, then you can pay me back by making sure to pass on my work of helping others. After all, a lot of this couldn't have been possible without my influence. That is why I am hoping they will say yes even though you two are total strangers, because they trust me, but you two will still have to earn that trust. You got me?"

"Understood," answers Curie.

"Yeah, I understand," Neil adds.

Nate takes a few bits of Cram from the frying pan then hands the fork and pan over to Neil. He is hesitant to accept it at first, but knowing it would be rude to refuse further, he takes it and eats quickly.

"Good. Now try to get some sleep Neil. Don't worry. I'll have one eye open for all of us."

"As will I," says Curie. Neil looks to Nate with sincerity. "Thanks, for everything."

Early the next morning Nate talks to the Overseer of Greentop about allowing them to join the settlement. She agrees explaining that their timing couldn't be more prefect, because they just recently had a family move on to become part of the caravan. She informs them that their makeshift house is up for the taking. Her only stipulation is that both Curie and Neil have to work to earn their keep. Happy to accept those terms, Curie is named a pharmacist while Neil is given a position inside the greenhouse as one of the gardeners. They both give their good byes to Nate then head towards their new home. It rests just to the north, which is seen by the other settlers as dangerous territory, considering there is not much distance between them and the super mutants who have formed a settlement of their own just down the way. Still they are not far from the settlements tourettes which will alert them of danger if anything is to approach.

They step up to the small house's front door and discover right away that it is not made of much. Boards dangle off the sides of the wall, the steps leading to the door are cracked and some busted through, and there are gaps and holes riddled throughout as if someone has been using it for target practice. Neil turns to Curie who doesn't seem to have anything to say about the building's condition.

"Well, it's not much but I think we can work with this. We just need to gather a few more boards, maybe some street signs. Yeah, you know what? I think I've got an idea of what to do for this place."

"And what is that?" Curie asks intrigued.

"I think I want to use strips of metal to shingle the entire exterior of the house so that it looks as if the walls are made of scales. Then for the roof we can just lay out a few pieces of half cylinder logs and that way we wont have to rely on fabric or plant fiber to keep out the rain such as the previous owners did. Wow. I never thought all that time working in a run down vault would pay off."

"And what about the floor? From out here it does not seem like it has much insulation. Of course that is not a problem for me, but wont your feet get cold?"

"Well let's just take a look inside first and find out."

They open wide the door and discover a three room interior with one room having a make shift grill and another with a run down bed. There are dozens upon dozens of liqueur bottles scattered all around the floor as well as empty food cans and rags.

"Eww, so dirty. To think the previous owners couldn't even be bothered to bring out the recycling," says Curie.

"I don't think there is such a thing out here." Neil gives the house one more good look. "So what do you think?" He asks enthusiastically.

"I think that living here will require you getting a booster shot."

"I think it's perfect. A private room for you and a private room for me, plus a kitchen. I don't think I could have asked for more."

"If you say so," Curie says disgusted.

She begins to gather up all the bottles. Neil watches her for a moment inspired by how quickly and precisely she moves. She notices him staring.

"What is it?"

He shakes his head pulling himself back into the moment. "Oh, sorry. You just gave me an idea." He sets his back pack on the floor then picks up one of the wine bottles. "Curie, can you cut this in half using your blade?"

"I believe so, but why would you-"

"Just trust me."

She does as he asks and cuts the bottle vertically as he holds it up in front of her. He is amazed by how she is able to do it with such precision and her blade is so sharp the cut comes out clean. He rubs his thumb over the hot, silky, glass.

"That is perfect. Now can you use your flame thrower to melt the two halves side by side?"

"I think so. But I would like to know what I am doing before using up my flame oil."

"Okay, picture this. I want to use all these bottles to line them up side by side like this." He holds up the two pieces so that both of their flat surfaces rest next to each other. "And then we can use their half circle shape laid over one another to keep the roof from leaking. Do you get what I mean?"

"I think so. But to cover the entire roof that will require a lot of bottles, no?"

"It will, but I am certain we can find more and I wont let the effort go to waste, I promise. Also I will do everything I can to make sure your tank remains full when I can. I don't care if I have to work night and day to pay off a caravan for fuel. Building this house for us is all I want to do."

Curie notices the glint in his eye. "Neil, you are so determined. Why do you want this so badly?"

He lowers his arms. His expression becomes serious. "Because for the last ten years of my life, all I have ever wanted is a place I can call my own." He sets his hand against the wall. "To have a house built just the way I want it. To have someone I can come home to. And... Curie, I want you to be that someone." He holds out his hand to her.

"But Neil, I am only a robot. You should be looking for someone whom you can truly be happy with. Someone who can hold you, someone you can share meals with, to start a family."

"I can live without all those things as long as I know you'll stay by my side. You will wont you?"

He cups his hands together hoping with all his might that she will say yes. They look into one another for the longest moment. Curie can hear Neil's heart racing and at the same time she feels something sparking inside her like she has never felt before.

"Oh mon amour (my love), of course I will."

He pulls her in for an embrace. Never before has she experienced such an action, but she does her best to place her arms around him. She does her best to keep him from being nicked on her many sharp appendages.

"Thank you," he whispers. He gives her one last hard squeeze hoping she can feel even the tiniest part of it before letting go. "Alright. No time like the present."

He begins to gather up more of the bottles from the floor then takes them outside and places them all in one big pile. Curie joins in helping him and before long they rid the entire inside of trash.

"So have you come up with a plan for the floor?" Curie asks.

"One thing at a time," Neil responds.

They work throughout the day cutting all the cans into strips of four squares and pile them up alongside the house. They then cut all the glass liqueur bottles in the same way Neil instructed Curie the first time, and stack them all into a green and brown pyramid. As they are finishing up for the day, a group of four men from the greenhouse pay them a visit.

"So who do we have hear?" They say as an informal greeting.

Curie turns to them first then Neil soon follows suit.

"Oh, bonjour. Are you gentlemen here for the housewarming?"

"Huh? Why is your robot speaking gibberish?" One man asks Neil.

"Yeah, and in such a funny accent?" Says another.

Neil scowls. "Curie is not _my_ robot. She is a being all her own. As for her accent, it is of beautiful french origin."

They snark at him. "French huh? Must be some fancy language only you vault folk care about. Out here those books smarts will do you no good. You got to be attentive and quick to react."

One of them give their pile of shingles a swift, strong, kick sending them flying to all areas of the yard. Neil just stands his ground and looks at them with disdain as Curie moves quickly to retrieve them.

"Now that is not very nice," she says as if she is scolding a young child.

The leader of the four steps forward and points his finger hard against Neil's chest. "You better wipe that sour look off your face." He points his thumb at himself. "We are the ones who make sure things run smoothly around here and if you are too much of a pretty boy to keep up, we'll have you thrown to the mirelurks. You got me?"

"I get you," Neil responds while trying to keep his cool.

"Good. Now you better get some rest. You're going to have a busy day tomorrow. And don't think that just because you have a robot to help you, that we wont pile on as much as we can."

"I can handle any work you can give," Neil replies boldly.

"We'll see about that."

The four of them walk away and it is not until they are out of sight that Neil finally turns back to Curie. She continues to gather their shingles and places them back into a pile.

"I'm sorry about that. I should have stopped them," he says softly.

"Oh, no. Don't worry about it. I can get this cleaned up in no time. That gentlemen was right. You should focus on getting some rest."

"Those four are no gentlemen. They mean to haze me and make me feel like we're not worth the trouble of staying, but I wont let them push us away. I've been through all of this before. Everyone I've ever known has always underestimated me and doubted my abilities. But I always prove them wrong."

"I am sure you will mon amour. But for now, let's get you ready for bed."

"Sure thing."

The next day the other gardeners keep good on their word. They load up Neil with the impossible task of tending to and picking fifty mutfruit trees clear of their fruit. Not being use to so much labor all at once, he stumbles during his task from lack of muscular strength and falls face first into one of the dirt mounds. The men tease and taunt him. Even kicking him further into the soil. Curie notices the scuffle and steps away from her task of gathering samples to comfort him. He sits himself up but does not stand. He feels weak and beaten and it is only the first day.

"Neil, wont you let me help you?" Curie asks.

"No," he snaps. "I need to show these guys that I can do this on my own. That I don't need anyone to help me do my job."

"But they are pushing you too hard. Maybe this place isn't right for us. Maybe we should find someplace else."

"I wont give up so easily. If I can't get by just because some punks think they are better than me, then I'll never be able to face the real dangers out in the world. I have to prove not only to them, but to myself that I can take on anything that comes my way."

"I admire your courage, but I also believe that there is no shame in asking for help. I don't want to pry, but just know that if you ever need to, you can ask me anything."

"I appreciate that."

He wipes his face to free himself of most of the dirt but bits of it linger causing his skin to feel dry. He stands up and Curie helps to dust him off.

"Damn, I could really use a drink," he muffles.

"Oh, I have the perfect thing," Curie says excitedly.

She steps over to one of the work benches and grabs an unused, plastic, cup with Nuka World printed on its side. She returns to Neil as she opens up the front of her pearl compartment and begins to pour water out from her filter. She takes one of her sample syringes and sticks the tip of it into one of the mutfruit bulbs and drains out a tiny bit of its purple insides. She then squirts the contents of the syringe into the cup of water and holds it out for Neil to take it from her.

"What is this? Some kind of juice?" Neil asks as he takes the cup into his hands and lifts it up to his lips, sipping it. He realizes it does not have much flavor but there is something about it that lifts his spirits.

"Not exactly. I discovered that the core of the mutfruit is actually highly concentrated with opioids. You humans have learned not to eat the core since biting into one directly would cause an overdose, as well as nausea, vomiting, and possibly even lead to death. But if you only take a tiny bit, it helps to benefit blood flow, relax muscles, and increase respiration."

"Wow. That's amazing Curie. And you came up with this all by yourself?"

"Well, I discovered these properties in the mutfruit yes, but the core idea of testing such fruits come from the thousands of years of medical history that has been stored in my servers. Just one of the many ways I hope to help those around me."

"It is still an amazing thing to be able to use and understand such knowledge. I hope you realize that."

"I guess it is. I never really thought of it that way."

Neil drinks down the rest of the cup. As he wipes his lips clear of the moisture he notices that the other gardeners are staring and whispering things to one another. He turns back to Curie trying his best to ignore their judgments.

"I'm sorry to cut this conversation short, but we really should get back to work."

"Sure thing," Curie agrees as she immediately leaves his side to return to her task.

Neil crushes the plastic cup in his hand frustrated. He wishes he could thank her properly for her kind gesture. This is the kind of moment people talk about where the person on the receiving end of such an action is suppose to lean in and give the other a tender kiss, but there is no way he can thank her in such a way. He would have to think of something else. For now he just tosses the cup into a nearby waste basket and returns to his work.

Over the next week, Neil continues to be bullied and floored into the ground both mentally and physically. The others have even pushed him into removing his vault suit, telling him that a real man doesn't need a temperature control onesie. So he has gathered up enough funds to buy himself a used, plaid, shirt and some warn jeans. At first the heat from the sun beaming down on him through the lighthouse glass was daunting, but after the first few days he has come to realize that he has grown fond of the feeling. Just the pleasure of his entire body becoming hot and sweaty as his skin tans into a fine, light shade of brown. Giving him contrast to just how pale he always was living underground. Most times he gets so focused on completing his task that he removes his shirt entirely to keep himself from getting heat stroke. Never letting the fact that doing so back in the vault would have been seen as indecent. Before now he would never have allowed a female to look upon his naked chest outside of a private setting from fear of being labeled as a sexual harasser.

Each day Curie makes sure to bring him fresh water so that he doesn't lose track and dehydrate himself. Neil knows her medical concoction is one of the only reasons he has been able to work for as long and as hard as he has. If it wasn't for her, his muscles would never allow him to even roll out of bed each morning.

At night while he sleeps, Curie has taken it upon herself to walk the grounds in search of used cans and bottles so that they can complete the proofing on the house. She has also managed to gather up enough materials in order for them to fix up an old fridge that they have propped up just next to their front door, so that there is always fresh, cold, water for Neil to drink when he gets off work. Other settlers caught on to this however, and take it upon themselves to pull out multiple bottles for themselves each day, but she just fills up her tank and makes more without giving it a second thought. She also fills up the bucket to their make shift shower so that Neil can clean himself before bed every night. They have already scrubbed the building from top to bottom and built a metal container under the floor, so that they can fill it with firewood without worry that it is going to set the rest of the place a blaze.

Curie is amazed by how much the two of them have accomplished in such a little amount of time. Neil is much smarter and creative than the average human and she comes to admire how he thinks. She can see that all he wants to do is make life more fulfilling. She wonders how she can help him in doing so, but nothing that comes to mind is ever specific to him. All she knows is science and medicine. She knows nothing of romance or psychology. So even though she wants to do something special for him she isn't sure what it could be.

One night while the two of them are relaxing in the kitchen, Curie studies Neil's body as he cooks himself dinner. She notices he has become slimmer in parts of his legs and arms and bulkier in others. His muscles have become defined and even through his clothes she can notice the difference. Also his breathing pattern has become deeper. He is no longer taking in shallow, quick, breaths. It is as if now he is subconsciously making each one count. It is no doubt to her that it is just his body's way of adapting to such a drastic change in environment, where dust and grim runs rapid.

"Hey Neil?" She asks, mostly just wanting to break the silence.

"Yes, what is it?" He does not look away from his cooking.

"When was the last time you had a booster shot?"

"This again," he laughs. "You're really worried I'm going to get sick aren't you?"

"But of course. There are so many toxins in the world and any one of them could put you in harms way quit quickly. I would hate to think such a thing happening only because you did not take the proper precautions."

"I'll be fine. I had my shots done at the beginning of the year. The medics in vault 81 were very strict about that, especially after we started opening the door to outsiders. The Overseer didn't want an epidemic to fall on her hands. So, you don't need to worry about me so much. Okay?"

"I'm sorry my worry is a bother. It's just... that I care for you so much. I couldn't bare the thought of losing you."

He finally turns to look at her. "You're not going to lose me. I have no intentions on doing something that will put me in harms way."

"But you can't say that. You don't know for sure," her voice becomes sorrowful. "Plus you are a human. No mater even if we stay safe. You will die some day, and I will have to go on, possibly for another lifetime without you."

Neil puts his cooking to the side and steps over to her. "Curie, it's okay. I still have a long life ahead of me. If nothing else we must spend the time we have together with as much happiness as possible."

He places his hand on her claw. She looks down at it wishing she could feel it. But then again she doesn't even truly understand what that would mean. 'What is it like to hold someone? To feel their warmth? What even is warmth?'

"Neil, I want to know your answer to something."

"Anything. Just ask."

"Alright. I want to know your most deepest, fondest, secrete, desire. I want to know something about you that you have never told anyone else. I want to know your passion. Something that is in your heart, even if you might think it is wrong. I need to know who you are on the inside. Not just what you express on the outside."

He takes in a deep breath. "Wow! That is quit the question." He thinks to himself for a moment before answering. "Well... I would have to say that there is one thing I fantasize about more often then I care to admit. Pretty much any time I see a desk, which has been pretty regular both in the vault and out here."

Curie becomes intrigued. "What is it?"

He lets out a subtle laugh. "Um... it has to do with an article I read once, in a magazine. An adult magazine."

"An adult magazine? I'm not sure I understand."

"Basically it is a kind of magazine meant only for people who are eighteen years of age or older because of the questionable content that lies inside."

"This is curious. The only magazines I know about are the kinds with cartoons and the ones about home and living. So these magazines are considered bad for younger people to view?"

"Not necessarily bad, more of a taboo. Humans learn about stuff at different rates of maturity and some of the stuff talked about in these magazines might seem confusing or be taken the wrong way if seen by uneducated eyes."

"I think I understand now. You're talking about human reproduction aren't you?"

Neil blushes red hot. "Yeah. For the most part."

"So then what is it about these _adult_ magazines that makes you fantasize about it?"

Neil's voice becomes tight, "Well um... inside these magazines are not only pictures of humans, mostly women, with their clothes off, but there are also articles consisting of stories from real life people who use to write in to the makers of the magazine."

"Ah, letters to the editor. I get it."

"Right. Exactly. So one article in particular was sent in by a man..." he wipes the sweat from his brow, "Oh man, I can't believe I am about to tell you this. He tells the story about how one day he was working on a truck in the town garage when his wife spontaneously walked into the room wearing nothing more than some lingerie. She then proceeded to sit herself atop his workbench and call him over to her where she whispered dirty talk into his ear until he could no longer resist temptation and made love to her right then in there in front of all of his co-workers. He goes on to explain that afterward he lost his job over it, but it was one of the best sexual experiences he has ever had." He laughs, "I bet my co-workers would crap themselves with jealously if that happened to me. I'm sure most of them wouldn't know a good sexual experience even if it fell right onto their lap."

He brushes his hand over the front of his jeans to readjust himself. His pants have become very tight and Curie can see the entire silhouette of his erect cock through his jeans. He then tries to cover it with his hand but it is too late.

"Wow! So that story really does make you excited. This kind of thing happens whenever you are just thinking about it?"

"Not every time. Usually I am able to control it but right now I'm finding it extremely difficult."

"I see. Is there any thing I can do to help you feel better?"

"No, no. I just need a minute."

He turns back to his cooking. Curie becomes quiet as she thinks to herself about everything she knows about human reproduction. She knows how the male and female bodies produce a child but the knowledge of what happens to the human body during penetration is a mystery. She wishes there were a way she could learn more but she doesn't want to make Neil feel any more uncomfortable than he already does and she doesn't know anyone else well enough to put such a sensitive question on them.

That night after Neil has gone to bed, Curie does her normal routine of searching the grounds for items and parts that she and Neil might be able to make use of. She can't help however that her mind keeps circling back to wanting to know more about what makes Neil's secrete such a passion of his. She needs to know more about what it means to make love to someone.

She returns home earlier than usual and right away she notices that Neil still has his bedroom lamp on. It is set very low but she can see it even past the glow of the house's fire pit. She is about to ask him what he is still doing up when an unfamiliar sound catches her ears. She realizes the sound is coming from him. It is his breathing. It is heavy and he takes air into his lungs in tiny spurts.

Curious, she searches for an opening in the wall to his room. Having already shingled most of the outside, she finds it difficult, but she manages to find a single strip that is a bit looser than the others and pushes it to the side to peer between the boards. She becomes shocked as she discovers Neil laying on his bed, wearing nothing but his underwear, that is pulled down past his balls. His right hand strokes his erection while in his other hand he holds up a magazine with a picture of a half naked woman looking seductively on the page. His breathing becomes heavier. She can hear him trying to muffle himself as much as possible. His hips thrusts back an forth in short pulses until suddenly his entire body becomes ridged. He quickly grabs a rag from his end table and places it over the head of his cock. He allows himself to erupt into it. After a few seconds, his body becomes loose and he relaxes himself. His breathing slowly returns to normal and after a minute he pulls the rag free from his member, revealing a large glob of semen that has soaked a large portion of its fibers. He folds the cloth in half to use its remaining dry spot to clean himself up. He sticks his cock back into his underwear and turns to his lamp to put it out.

Curie takes a step back from the wall. She uses all her computing power to try an understand what she has just witnessed. He had done what is natural for a man to do. He was stimulated and therefore released himself, but it wasn't for reproduction. She could tell by the expression on his face, that he was experiencing something that made him feel good. She decides that she has to get her hands on whatever that magazine is he was holding. She wants to read the stories for herself and then maybe she can get a better understanding.

The next day while Neil is at work, Curie sneaks into his room and searches for the coveted magazine. It doesn't take her long to find it. It is tucked away under his mattress along with five other issues under the same name. Hustler.

"I have never heard of this," she tells herself.

She looks over the cover which has a curvaceous woman kneeling with her back towards the camera. She is wearing nothing but fish netting that drapes across her butt-cheeks. The woman looks over her shoulder towards the camera with a 'come hither' look on her face. She studies every word on the page. All of it being info on what the reader can expect to find inside. She flips open to the first page. More info on what is to come and an ad for some sexual lubricant. She flips to the next page and finds article after article written by various men and women talking about not only good sexual experiences but ones that went terribly wrong. This fascinates her further. 'There can be bad love making?' Continuing through the pages she finds more ads for adult DVDs and subscription deals for upcoming issues.

She then comes to the page that Neil had been masturbating to. Her eyes scan every inch of the photo. The woman lies on her back on some kind of silk sheet. Her left arm rests under her breasts which makes them look fuller than they would if they rested naturally. She has her index finger of her right hand in her mouth where she appears to be biting down on it gently. Her long brown hair is spread wildly across the silk sheet, which does little to cover up her body, though parts of it rests against her legs and abdomen. Looking further down the page she sees that the woman has her legs spread wide, revealing that she is completely clean shaven with her labia exposed for all to see. Curie can even see exactly where her vaginal entrance is.

"This is a woman's body."

She looks over herself as she tries to picture what she would look like as a woman. She can feel something deep inside her become strange. She feels somehow wrong, different. Though she can't figure out why. As she continues to read through each magazine the feeling becomes stronger and stronger. 'What is this?' She asks herself over and over. 'Why can't I understand?' She finds the article Neil had told her about. She studies it closely. The way the man describes the way his wife walked into the room. The words she used to seduce him. Even the tone she spoke in. 'But I could never get my voice to sound like that? At least not the way I am now.' Suddenly it clicks. If she is to better understand, then she has to truly know what is all means. Not only in words, she wants to know how it feels.

"I must become human," she says with determination.


	2. Chapter 2

Curie secretly talks to members of the caravan as they stroll into town each day to discover any news on where Nate might be. After a few tries one caravan is able to tell her where and when he will be heading over the next few days. Curie leaves the Overseer with a message for Neil, asking him not to worry about her, and that she will be back once she has time to speak to Nate about something extremely important.

Days pass without a word of her return. In her absence Neil has constructed himself a large water purifier in order to make up for the lose of hydration he has been getting while Curie is away. He also figures that now that he has done so, she will no longer have to wait on him day in and day out to ensure he has fresh water, not only to drink, but also for his showers.

Neil does his best to stay strong in her absence, but from the beginning can't help missing her deeply. He respects her decision to leave without him but at the same time he wishes she had given him some kind of warning. Frustrated he snaps off the dead branches of the mutfruits with his hands instead of using clippers. The other gardeners notice the sour look on his face and take it as their next opportunity to bring him down. They approach him.

"Hey there vault boy! What's the matter? Mad that your little robot friend left you?"

"Just leave me alone you guys. I wasn't bothering any of you so I would appreciate it if you wouldn't bother me," Neil says calmly.

They laugh, "Look at him. He is so pathetic, he can't even keep a pretend girlfriend around."

"Whatever. She probably ran away to kill herself rather than spend more time with this chump."

Neil becomes angry. "Shut up!" He shouts. "You bastards don't know anything! It doesn't matter what Curie is! I love her for _who_ she is! Got it? So taunt me all you want, but it's not going to change anything!"

"Ooo... how noble of you," they taunt simultaneously. Then laugh maniacally.

Suddenly they are all caught off guard by the greenhouse's large, wooden, door swinging open as if something on the outside means to rip it straight of its hinges. They all stare in awe as the silhouette of a slender, short haired, vixen steps into the doorway. Her stance is powerful and precise. Accentuating her hips slightly to the right with her hands on her hips. Once their eyes have a chance to focus they can see that the mysterious woman is wearing a skin tight, black, spandex, catsuit that covers her body from neck to toe and is complete with high heel boots, that are laced up the side of her leg, and stop just below her knees.

"Who is that?" The men drool.

"I don't know, but she is one sexy kitten."

Neil swallows hard as his boner begins to crawl up to the waistband of his jeans. For a moment he finds himself feeling guilty. He should not be allowing himself to become so aroused for a woman other than Curie. His body begins to shake with desire. He closes his eyes hard to try to calm himself down.

"Neil!" The woman shouts towards him.

Thinking it is a command, the other men drop to their knees. "All mighty goddess! We are not worthy to gaze upon you!" They cry.

With his heart feeling as if it is about to burst from his chest, Neil doesn't move an inch, while the woman quickly approaches him. He feels her hands slide over his chest and even through his shirt he can feel the warmth of her skin. He opens his eyes and finds himself staring into the color of hazel blue. Her eyes are fierce, like an animal ready to pounce at any moment. 'Who is this woman? And what does she want with me?' He asks himself. Without warning, she leans into him and presses her soft, supple lips against his. It is the first time in many years that he has felt something so incredibly delicate. His emotions become clouded. He feels he is cheating on Curie for not pulling away, but at the same time his body burns for him to keep going.

'You know you want her.' It taunts. 'She is the perfect woman. It doesn't matter who she is. It is your right to ravish her and fill her womb with your seed.' Still he forces himself not to move. Eventually she pulls back from the kiss and immediately he craves her warmth to return.

She gives him a gentle smile. "Mon amour. Did you miss me?"

He takes in a sudden breath from shock. To him there was no mistaking her voice. "Curie?"

"Yes my love. I have surprised you, no?"

He struggles to find his words, "B-but how... how did you-"

She hushes him, "Don't worry about that right now. All I want you to think about is inserting your long, thick, member into my tight... wet... pussy." As she speaks her voice becomes more and more sensual.

She props herself up on his workbench and in one swift motion, she spreads her legs wide and pulls him towards her by the collar of his shirt. Before he even has time to react to what is happening, she shoves her mouth hard and deep into his. Her soft tongue against his hypnotizes him. For a moment he forgets where he is, but then he remembers that his co-workers are watching from just a few feet away. With all of his hormones fighting against his morals to keep going, he pulls himself from the kiss. She tries to lean in to kiss him again but he keeps his hands firmly against her shoulders to keep her back. She looks to him confused. He takes in a deep breath feeling as if he is about to faint.

"Curie, though I find this _incredibly_ hot, I need you to stop." He squints his eyes while trying to collect himself.

"But Neil, you have become so big. It would be a shame to let such a glorious thing to go to waste."

She slides her palm down the length of his shaft then cups his balls in her fingers just before giving them a gentle squeeze. He winces from the powerful ache that has built up along his penis. The pressure begs for a release but he still holds back.

"Okay Curie, now you're making it hurt."

"I'm sorry." She pulls her hands away. "Would it be better for you to fondle me instead?"

She places her fingers around the zipper at the base of her neck and begins to unzip the front of her catsuit. Neil watches unable to speak, captivated by her beauty, his eyes become wide and dilated. They don't want to miss a single detail. More and more of her pale, pink skin becomes reveled to him, while the sun light glares through the ceiling, and the mist from the water sprinklers leave a layer of cool gloss over them. Her zipper reaches her breastbone, her cleavage, splitting all the way down to her belly button. Since she is not wearing a bra, her boobs move freely, eager to escape their confinement. The white V of her upper body expands and her hard, nipples become so close to popping out from behind the suit. He knows that the moment he sees them, he will not be able to keep himself from taking them into his mouth. They are so close. Just another half inch. Once again Neil forces himself to snap into focus and he quickly takes Curie by the hand to keep her from undressing any further.

"Hey, hey, look, look, look! Curie you need to stop!" He begs her.

"What's wrong? You don't like this?" She whines.

"No," he answers out of breath.

"But, I thought you said-"

"Yes I understand, and I appreciate what you are trying to do! But there is a big difference between fantasizing about something and actually doing it!" He zips up her suit the rest of the way and gives her a kiss on the hand. "Now please. I need you to go home and wait for me, okay? Well talk about this after I get off work."

Her body burns with desire for him. It is so overwhelming she almost begins to cry, "But Neil I-"

He hushes her while running his fingers through her short, silky, hair. "Please. I promise I will make this up to you later. Now I really need to get back to work."

He takes a few steps back from her. Then places his hands on her knees to guide her in closing her legs. She reaches out her hand to him. Wanting to pull him back in but he stands his ground. It is the hardest sheer of willpower he has ever had to muster. The love of his life is begging him to give her pleasure with tears of desperation in her eyes. But he can not fulfill her wish. This was not the time or the place for them to experience something so personal and so intimate. Plus she has changed herself so dramatically. It feels wrong to him for them to make love without knowing why she decided to become a synth. 'Is it just for the sex or are there more reasons?'

Curie continues to beg him for a minute more without saying a word, before accepting the fact that he is refusing her advances. She collects herself then wipes her face with her arm, before slowly walking out of the greenhouse. Neil turns back to the others who are still in shock on the floor at what they just witnessed. Not only did a beautiful woman just beg for sex in front of a crowd, but the man she was begging turned her down.

'That didn't really just happen, did it?" One man blurts out.

Neil brushes them off. "What's the big deal? She's only a robot, right?"

He steps over to the mutfruit tree and continues to snap off its dead branches.

With her new body unsure of how to handle what has just happened, Curie does not head towards their home. Instead she feels as if she has to get away to clear her head. Not knowing where to escape to she follows the road north to distance herself from the settlement. As she walks she can't keep herself from crying. She feels sick deep down in her gut and her heart feels as if a thousand needles are pricking her over and over.

A caravan driver notices her. "Miss, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Mercie," she lies.

She doesn't even give them a passing glance. She keeps her eyes on the road and notices a large billboard in the distance. It reads "General Atomics Galleria." Curious, Curie hurries along to discover what awaits at the gallery of her makers.

Unable to keep himself away any longer, Neil cuts his work day off an hour early and hurries home with the hopes that Curie will be there as he asked. He bursts through the front door but discovers that the house is empty.

"What? She isn't here? Maybe it is because I'm home early and she wasn't expecting me yet." He steps back outside and gives the area a quick scan. He doesn't find her anywhere. "Someone has to know where she is. It's not every day you see a woman in a catsuit. I've got to find her before anything happens to her."

He searches the entire town asking other settlers if they have seen the woman in black, but no one claims to have any idea what he is talking about. He begins to panic. 'She couldn't have just disappeared. Did someone capture her? Did they find out what she is and...'

"No! No! I can't think like that." Feeling his anxiety pressing against his chest he hollers at the top of his lungs, "Curie! Curie, where are you?"

The Overseer hears his shouts and approaches him. "Neil? What's wrong? Why are you yelling?"

He turns to her with tears in his eyes. "It's Curie! I can't find her anywhere!"

"You're talking about the Miss Nanny that lives with you?"

"Yes! But she isn't a robot anymore! She has become a synth and I'm afraid something has happened to her!"

"Alright, you just need to calm down. Someone had to have seen where she went.

"That is what I thought! But no one in town has been able to tell me anything!"

The Overseer points towards the road. "Look, a caravan has just arrived. Maybe they saw something."

Neil hurries over to meet the traveler. Still panicking he speaks quickly, "I'm sorry to bother you, but have you see a woman, with short hair, wearing all black by chance?"

The man's brow furrows. "Yeah, I saw her heading north towards the old galleria."

The weight on Neil's chests lifts a bit. "Oh thank you sir!"

He begins to run down the road when the Overseer stops him.

"Neil!" He turns back wondering what she could want. "Come back here!"

"But I got to catch up to her!"

She points to the ground hard to let him know she is serious. He hurries back to her side.

"I know you're eager, but you can't just rush out there without taking the proper precautions." She takes out her side arm and hands it to him along with a box of bullets. "Now I want you to take this but be sure only to use it if you absolutely have to." He hesitates to accept it but then sticks the gun into his waistband and the bullets into his back pocket. "Good. Now wait here a moment." She hurries into the house nearby and returns with a canteen filled with water. She places the strap over his shoulders then pats him on the upper arm. "You bring her back, you hear me?"

"Yes. I will. Thank you."

She singles for him to go and he quickly makes his way up the road. Before long he sees the galleria billboard come into focus. It reads '_One Mile_.' He stops for a moment to catch his breath then takes a swig from the canteen. He takes a look around but finds nothing and no one.

Further down the path, he comes across a patch of yellow carnations. He takes it as a sign. 'She has to be this way.' He hurries over to it and grabs a bundle into his hand. He lifts the flowers up to his nose and takes in their sweet smell. It is euphoric. The kind of thing you don't appreciate until you really take the time. That is exactly what he wants to do for Curie. She deserves to be given all the time in the world to appreciate, not just admired for her outer beauty.

"I will find you," he whispers. "Then I'll make all of this right."

He continues north and just as the sign instructed, the galleria stands just one mile away. A two story, metal statue of a Mr. Handy greets him as he approaches the main gate. He isn't sure what to expect, but he looks around only to find a handful of Mr. Handys resting idly throughout the different shops and plaza. He notices that everything is so quiet except for the sound of faint crying coming from the building labeled '_General Atomics Outlet_.' He hurries over to the front door and takes a peak inside.

The room is dimly lit as the setting sun grazes the treetops and casts the last of its light through the broken, shop, widows. Looking to the left, towards the crying, he finds Curie standing before a display stand that is set up to showcase a Mrs. Nanny model. Her face is soaked with tears which continue to stream down her cheeks as she looks up at the model. Wanting so badly to comfort her he hurries to her side.

"Curie! Thank goodness you're alright. I was so worried about you." He wraps his arms around her and holds her tightly.

"You mean, you are not angry with me?" She asks confused.

He takes her head into his hands and looks into her eyes. "Of course I am not mad at you. Why would you think that?"

Tears continue to soak her cheeks. "I did my best to fulfill your fantasy, but you did not want it. I thought that maybe I made the mistake of changing myself into a human. That maybe you loved me better as a robot."

His heart sinks at the knowledge that she could ever think he doesn't love her.

"No, no, no. Of course not. Curie, I love you because of who you are. No matter what form you may take."

"Then why do you not want to make love to me? I thought it was what you wanted."

He inhales and exhales giving himself a moment to think of how to explain things to her. "Curie, what you have done to yourself, all of this," he runs his hands through the air along the length of her body. "I need to know exactly why you've done this. Was it only for me or was there a reason you did it for yourself?"

"I did it for both of us. I wanted to better understand what it truly meant to love someone. With my old Mrs. Nanny hardware I could only understand it so far. I decided that the only way for me to discover more was to become more human and a synth is the closest I could get to accomplishing that. I asked Nate to help me change myself so that you and I could experience sexual pleasure together."

"But why now? After all this time?"

She becomes quiet for a moment then continues. "I saw you the other night, while you were masturbating in your room." They both blush hard. "I didn't mean to peek for so long but I wanted to know more about the kind of things that happen when a man reaches orgasm. And I liked what I saw."

"I see. So now that you have become a synth, have you thought about how you feel about all this? How you feel about me? Or even what it would mean if you and I were to have sex?"

"All I know, is I want to be with you, more than anything else in the whole world." She places her hands over his shoulders and leans into him closely.

"But you can have anyone now. You're no longer bound to the limitations of being a robot. People will treat you differently. Men will surely crawl through nuclear waste just to get the chance to be with you. I mean... I'm nothing special and I don't want you to feel obligated to be with me just because we've known each other for the past month. I want you to feel free to make your own choices."

"And I choose you. You're wrong Neil. You are special... because I love you. Maybe before I wasn't completely sure, but there is no doubting it now. I mean, how could I not? You are so kind, smart, thoughtful, as well as handsome." Her eyes become soft. "These are all things I knew from the start but... I don't know. I guess I can see it even stronger now. Does that make sense?"

He nods his head. "Yes, because I feel the exact same way about you."

"You do?"

"Yes. I hate to admit this, but all this time I have been trying to think of ways that I could express my love to you. This may sound a bit selfish, but I wanted you to be able to express yourself to me as well. It's all just been so complicated. In one way I know I am going to miss the way you were, because your old body is what I am use to and I never expected you to change. But now that you are more human, I feel like we can be closer than ever. I'm sorry. I'm feeling like a real asshole right now."

"Not at all. This is what I wanted. I understand Neil, I do. It is only natural for someone to want experience sex with a partner of the same species. I appreciate that you loved me even as a robot but I don't want you to feel like it's wrong for you to love this me even more."

His heart becomes heavy and tears wet his face. "Oh, Curie."

"Why are you crying?" She asks while massaging his neck and shoulders.

"You're just so amazing. I'm so happy I met you."

"Me too."

She pulls him towards her and plants her lips tenderly against his. They both take in a deep breath as if doing so for the very first time. Her chest presses up against his and he can feel her cushy breasts compress even though their clothes. His hands grasp her waist. He never wants her warmth to leave him ever again. She kisses long his jawline to his ear.

She whispers, "Will you make love to me, Neil?"

"If that is what you really want." She nods her head. "Then of course I will."

This time he leans into her and slowly slides his hands to her thighs. He lifts her off her feet into his arms. She feels so light. Almost like a giant pillow that is filled head to toe with something so soft he can't even make a comparison. He carries her over to the reception desk and sets her down gently. To his surprise she doesn't seem nervous at all. All he can sense is impatience. So much sexual tension causes both their bodies to shiver. He can't let it rush him. With the sun setting the room has become dark. He looks around for a light but doesn't find one.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

"It's getting late. I'm thinking we should head home."

She desperately grabs at his collar. "No! I don't want to wait any longer," she begs.

"I don't either but it is almost too dark to see." He places his forehead against hers.

"I saw an oil lamp, next door, at Fallon's department store. I can go grab it."

"No. You stay here." He gives her a quick kiss. "I'll go get it."

"Please hurry," she begs softly.

He gives her a hard nod then rushes towards the building next door. While he is away, Curie takes this time to unlace her boots and pull them free from her feet. She then removes her stockings and admires the idea of being able to wiggle her toes. She giggles at their movement then sets her boots and stalkings down on the floor. Neil returns seconds later with the lamp in hand.

"I've got it."

He pulls out a lighter and lights its burner quickly. He turns the flame to full and through it's glow, her dark silhouette becomes more clear, but because of her black outfit he still can't see as much as he would like to.

"Thank you," she says softly.

"You're welcome." He places the chimney glass over the flame and sets it down on the table at their side. He then pulls out his hand gun and places it down next to it. "So we're really going to do this?" Standing between her knees, he looks to her for confirmation.

"Have you ever done this before?"

He runs his palms along her thighs. "A few times. Never with a virgin though."

"Is this a problem?"

"Not necessarily. It just means that at first it could be a bit painful for you. How much do you know about pain?"

"I know enough. How bad will it be?"

He shakes his head. "I'm not entirely sure. Tolerable, but really that all comes down to you. If at any point you want me to stop, you just say the word."

"Okay," she replies.

Her fingers grasp at his shirt's buttons. One by one she easily pops them undone. The creases of his pecs reveal themselves first. As she continues, the lines of his abdomen compress and expand with each breath. Though she has seen them before, this is the first time she can feel herself craving their toned texture against her fingertips. She slides them up his chest slowly. He twitches but she continues until her fingers reach his shoulders and she pushes his shirt free from his body. He allows it to fall to his lower arms before removing it the rest of way and placing it on the desk. The lamp casts shadows over every curve of his chest and arms. To her he is the perfect representation of a man.

"I trust you," she says through heated breath.

She raises her chin to allow him full access to her suit's zipper. His eyes become blurred for a moment as his blood rushes south. He wipes the sweat from his brow as his right hand takes hold of her zipper and he begins to pull it open. As if the zippers teeth are forcing the one next to it to separate, it is almost like his fingers play no role in undressing her. The suit splits down her neck, her cleavage, to her navel. Her skin flushes pink and his cock rises to the waist of his jeans.

"And here we are again," he says jokingly.

"Don't stop," she begs.

He continues to pull at the zipper until it rests just above her vagina. His eyes travel back up to her breasts where her nipples are that lustrous half and inch from view. Just one deep breath is all it will take for them both to spring out and accept his lips and tongue as a greeting. She inhales and he can see it all happening before him. Just as the zipper shifts, he cups his hands over them and squeezes them against his palms. They are just large enough that the combination of his palms and fingers are able to encase them. She lets out a subtle moan. His mouth still needing a greeting, it gives hers a deep kiss. She moans again which vibrates his lips and tongue.

"Your hands feel so warm," she says sensually.

"And your breasts are incredibly soft," Neil adds.

"Just my breasts?" She asks, inviting him to explore her body further.

"You're right. _You_ are incredibly soft. I've never felt anything like this before."

"Really? Not even with previous lovers?"

"That's just the thing. I haven't had any previous lovers. Just a few girls who I slept with. This isn't the same at all. With them it was about release, but with you... oh, Curie. With you it's like, like I'm incomplete without you. I want us to become one in so many ways."

"I'm waiting," she says softly as she wraps her feet around his calves.

He removes his hands from her chest and finally takes her right nipple into his mouth. Curie leans her head back, enjoying every lick and suck as his hands move quickly to unbuckle and unzip his pants. He pulls them down just enough so that he can pull his cock from his underwear without having to remove them completely. He doesn't want to be caught in the wild with his pants down. His erection wastes no time giving Curie a full salute. She admires its size.

"Oh my. It is so much bigger out in the open. That whole thing is suppose to fit inside me?"

"It should. I'm only sightly above average in both length and girth."

"Beautiful. Does it hurt just sticking out like that?"

"Not at the moment, but if I were to put it back it would."

"That is so interesting. You are going to open the rest of my zipper now, no?"

"Yeah, I think I'm ready. Are you ready?"

"I burn for you Neil. That is the only way I can think to describe it. My chest, my clit, and my inner thighs beg for you to continue."

"Aright. Here we go."

He takes her zipper in his fingers one last time and guides it down her pelvic bone, around to her butt-cheeks, to her lower back where it can go no further. He then massages his hands against her V-line and inner thighs until she willingly opens herself fully to him. Right away he becomes amazed by just how clean, tight, and wet she is. He places his middle and index finger over her clitoris and massages them up to the tip of her slit and down to her vaginal opening. Curie can't help but place her index finger into her mouth and bite down as her entire body erupts with a tingling sensation that spreads itself quickly over her entire body.

"Oh my god, Neil! That feels so good!"

Her velvety labia causes his cock to twitch again and again as it anticipates the warm, squishy, pocket it is about to insert into. After only a few seconds of him playing with her desires, she begins to thrust towards him. 'This is it. She's ready.' He places the crown of his cock against her entrance and it immediately soaks him and allows him to slip inside. The feeling is even greater than he was preparing himself for. No other feeling could ever exceed the absolute pleasure that engulfs his shaft. Without even having to move, Curie thrusts her hips into him and takes him even deeper inside. His legs become numb from the shock, but he uses all his lower body strength to stay on his feet. He moans uncontrollably as her hymen kisses at the head of his dick. He places his hands over her hips thinking that she will pull back from him at any moment to escape the pressure but instead she continues to try to take him in deeper with each consecutive thrust.

"I want you Neil! I want you so deep inside me! Give it to me!" She moans.

"Curie, I need to you take deep breaths, okay? This is the part where it might become uncomfortable for you."

"I don't care! Just do it!" She begs.

He takes her by the arms and places them on his shoulders. He then cups her butt-cheeks, grips the edges of the spandex suit in his fingers, and hitches her closer to the edge of the desk.

"Now just hold me as tightly as you can," he instructs.

She does as he asks and squeezes his head against her shoulder. She keeps her legs wrapped firmly around his waist as her heels cradle his inner thighs. Her naked breasts caress his as every muscle in his body begs for her touch. With one sudden, hard thrust he fully enters her and holds his stance. She lets out a wince of pain. Her upper arms hold his face so hard against her shoulder that she begins to suffocate him. Her back arches but he places one hand against her back to keep her from bending too far. Even though he is too scared to move at this point, Curie continues to thrust into him. He is surprised to find that her body is giving him zero resistance. He can feel her entire walls throb and twitch wildly. Eventually her grip loosens and he is able to take in a lung full of air. He places his forehead against hers.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"I feel amazing!" She answers. "What about you?"

"Everything is perfect. You are perfect."

Curie can feel her insides becoming hotter and her clitoris continues to beg for more and more stimulation. "Neil, I am not sure what is happening to my body! I feel like I'm going crazy!" Her moans become louder.

He can see the worry on her face and the sound in her voice.

He whispers to try to keep her calm, "It's okay. Just try to relax your mind. Let your body do what it naturally wants to do."

"But I don't know! I don't know what to do!"

"You don't have to do anything. I'm right here. I've got you."

"Ah! Neil! I can't... I can't-!"

He shoves his mouth into hers. Her tongue tingles his as he feels her walls tighten around his shaft and quiver hard. The sensation causes him to no longer be able to hold back and he erupts fully into her womb. She once again holds him tightly and his chest becomes so compressed by hers he can no longer breath. He doesn't mind though. Everything about her orgasm makes him crave her that much more. 'Not a single thing has gone wrong.' He only hopes she can say the same. He takes a moment to witness the beauty of her afterglow. Her eyes are gently closes with her lips slightly apart as her chest haves causing her breasts to massage his. The front of her suit has become even more open and he kisses at her exposed clavicle.

She moans at his touch. "Was that correct?"

"Perfect," he answers. "How was it for you?"

"It was so incredible. At first I felt as if a part of me was going to escape my body, but then everything came rushing back into me all at once. It was... exhilarating. I can still feel you pulsing inside me. You came yes?"

"I did. I'm sorry. I should have asked if you wanted me to pull out."

"No, no. That is perfectly fine. I would have said something if I didn't want you to."

"Well good. I'm glad it all worked out," Neil chuckles.

They give each other a tender kiss then just look into each others eyes.

"So what now?" Curie asks as she loosens her grip on him.

"Well we can't get cleaned up, so I guess we just head home. Do you think you will be able to walk?"

"I'm not sure. I've lost a lot of feeling in my legs."

"Just give yourself a moment. It will all come back soon enough."

He takes a step back from her and notices that he has made a complete mess of her lower half. His semen drips from her entrance, down her taint, to the floor. He rips off a piece of his shirt to use as a rag to help clean her up.

She gasps, "Oh no, Neil! Your shirt?"

"It's fine. I'll just buy a new one."

"But what will you wear on the way home?"

"It's fine. It's not cold out so technically speaking I don't even need a shirt."

"I guess."

He finishes cleaning her off then helps her to zip back up her suit. He then pulls up his own pants and places the handgun back in its waist band.

"Speaking of clothes, I take it you didn't think to buy any now that you are a synth?"

"I guess I didn't. All the money I gained while being with Nate I put towards buying this suit."

"Hey! Now that I think about it we might be in luck. In that department store next door I did see some folded up clothes that didn't seem like they were in too bad of shape. Lets just grab some of those before we head home."

"But wouldn't that be stealing?"

"Not at all. Now a days scavenging happens all the time. Basically if no one is around to claim it then it is no longer stealing."

"But doesn't that mean that since both of us are here someone could just take our home?"

"I suppose you're right. At this point I'm not worried however. If we have to start over then so be it. As long as I am with you, nothing else matters." He intertwines his fingers with hers. "I love you," he says softly.

"I love you too," she replies.

He gives her one last kiss before helping her to put back on her stockings and boots. Neil grabs the canteen as well as the lantern. They head over to the department store and gather up as much useful items as they can. They even find a decent suitcase to shove it all into. Neil lifts the case up to his side and stands near the exit.

"Alright. I think that will do it. Are you ready to head home?"

"I'm a bit nervous actually. I'm not sure what your co-workers are going to think of me after the way I acted."

"It doesn't matter. Whatever they have to say I will be right there to make sure that their words fall of deaf ears. You're still the same sweet, smart, and caring Curie that everyone in the settlement has grown to rely on. The Overseer herself even made it my task to bring you back safely. It is still your home. So long as you want it to be."

"All I care about right now, is getting back to your bedroom and snuggling up next to you."

"I can agree with that. Now come on. Let's go."

He holds out his hand to her and she happily accepts it.

Stepping foot back into the Greentop, the Overseer is ecstatic to see their safe return. She quickly rushes over to them and wraps her arms around them.

"Oh thank goodness! I'm amazed to see you two made it back without even a scratch on you."

"Yeah. We didn't run into any trouble over that way. Interestingly though we found out that the plaza over there is pretty much a town run by robots. Only their all in idol mode for some reason," says Neil.

"I'll have to get someone with tech smarts to check it out. If we could get all those robots on our side it would give us a huge advantage over our enemies."

"Sounds like a plan. In any case, thanks for letting me borrow this gun."

Neil holds it out to her with the grip facing her. She holds up her hands to stop him.

"That's okay. You can keep it. Think of it as a late housewarming gift."

"Oh, okay. Thanks."

Neil places it back into his waistband.

"By the way, I took a look at the modifications of your house while I was away. You two have come up with some pretty clever improvements."

"Oh, that credit goes solely to Neil. I just helped gather the materials," Curie says humbly.

The Overseer looks to Neil. "Well, if you don't mind. I would like you to teach all of us how you did them. Having better reinforced walls as well as a heating system that causes no risk to burning the settlement down would be a great weight of my shoulders."

"Sure. I can do that. No problem." Neil gives her a cheerful smile.

"Great." She gives him a hand shake. "Any who, I am sure you two must be exhausted. You should head home for now, but tomorrow morning I look forward to us getting things set up."

"You got it, Overseer." They both reply.

They each break away from the conversation and still hand in hand, Neil and Curie head home. Approaching the house, they check the refrigerator and discover that it has been cleaned out.

"Oh no. Neil, there isn't any fresh water."

"It's fine. We can get plenty out of the shower head."

"We can do what?"

"I hooked up a water purifier to our shower. This way you and I will be able to take all the showers we want and if need be we can just use the water tube to fill up this canteen."

"Really? You must show me right away!" She takes hold of his arm and pulls him around to the back of the house to the outdoor shower. Curie bounces excitedly at the sight of it. "Come on! Come on! Show me how it works!"

"Okay, okay. Just calm down,' Neil chuckles. He steps over the the purifier and places his hand on the large, metal, lever and cranks it clockwise. "First we turn on the pump." He then turns another lever near a large tube that rests over a large bucket with tiny holes poked through out the bottom. "Then we open the valve for the water to flow into the bucket." The water quickly fills the bucket then he turns the lever back so that only a tiny flow of water keeps the bucket from over flowing. "And there we have it. Want to take it for a test run?"

She suddenly becomes uncertain, "I'm not sure. Does it feel good?"

"It will be a bit cold, but it feels better than being all smelly and sticky." She still doesn't seem convinced. "Here, I'll get in first."

He lifts off the canteen and fills it real quick before placing it on the table next to the shower. He removes his gun, shoes, shirt, and then his pants and without hesitation he steps under the bucket and allows his entire head to become drenched. He then turns to Curie and holds his hand out for her to join him. Seeing the certainty within him, Curie quickly zips off her suit and kicks her boots off. She realizes this is the first time the two of them are fully naked in front of one another and she couldn't be more happy. That much trust is not seen between two people enough in this world. She finally takes hold of his hand and he helps her to step into the small, rectangular, stall.

The water falls over her chest, causing her nipples to shrink into tiny dots on the peaks of her firm boobs. The chill from the water causes her skin to goose-bump even in the warm, summer, night. She grasps her upper arms and rubs them.

"Oh, so cold," she whines.

Neil takes her into his arms and shares his body heat with her. He places his hand on the back of her head and allows her to snuggle up to his chest.

"Is this better?" He asks.

"Mmm, much better," she moans.

He begins moving his hands up and down her back to ensure that the water falls all around her. He grabs the shower cloth from the wall and scrubs it over her arms and legs. Once he is satisfied that every other area of her is clean, he places his fingers between her legs and washes away the sticky remains of their sexual fluids. She grips him hard, still becoming embarrassed by his touch but never once does she ask him to stop.

He then starts to wash himself and Curie takes the rag into her hands and helps him to reach all the places he can't get to easily himself. Including his lower back, butt-crack, and taint. Neil then turns off the water and grabs them both a clean towel to dry off. They pick up all their dirty clothes and Neil grabs his gun as they head inside. They set all their stuff down on the kitchen table and make sure the front door is shut and locked, before heading into the bedroom, where they both plop down onto it not even bothering to put on their pajamas.

Neil grabs the blanket at the foot of the bed and drapes it over them. They snuggle up close to one another and wrap their arms around each other. As their heads settle into the one bed pillow they let out a long happy sigh.

"This is all I could ever want," Neil says as he looks into Curies eyes.

"Does that mean your life has been fulfilling?" She asks.

"For the time being. Humans tend to always find something else they need. It is only a matter of time."

"This is something I can already tell about myself and I have only been human for a couple of days. As a robot the only thing I wanted to do was help people. But now I find myself wanting all sort of things. I want to travel and see the world with you. I want to try all kinds of foods and drinks. I want us to make love in so many places as well as try out all the positions I read about from your magazines."

"You read my magazines?" Neil blushes.

"Oh, that's right. I didn't tell you about that yet."

"Oh my gosh. I can't believe I didn't put two and two together. So that is where you got all those ideas from. Oh man and I can't even imagine what else was in those books that caught your eye."

"Everything," she replies.

"Everything?" He becomes a bit worried.

"Yes, and I want us to try all of it."

He becomes overwhelmed. "Oh wow! Okay. I guess we'll have plenty to talk about then. But for now we really should get some sleep."

"Okay."

He gives her a kiss on the forehead and within seconds she is out. He admires how cute she looks as she sleeps and soon her steady breathing helps him to sleep as well.

THE END


End file.
